Find out more
Life Beyond Wellington Week is a key part of Wellington College’s Life Beyond Wellington careers and life skills programme. Designed to prepare and empower students to thrive beyond school, the week offers immersive experiences that seek to broaden their horizons and build the skills and confidence needed to navigate an increasingly complex and fast-changing world.
Delivered through close collaboration between Careers and the Wellington Community Office, the programme includes career-focused assemblies, a set of tailored tutorials, and a wide range of guest speakers drawn from the extensive alumni and parent Wellington network. Together, these elements create a dynamic and inspiring week that connects students with real-world insights and opportunities.
Assemblies explored themes such as non-linear career paths, the importance of avoiding tunnel vision, and how lack of awareness can limit opportunity. Students also engaged with insights from the World Economic Forum, examining predictions about the future of work and the evolving skillsets employers are seeking.
Tutorials were tailored to each year group. Third Form students explored their interests and priorities to build a personal profile on Morrisby, while Sixth Formers focused on the power of networking and how to build meaningful professional connections. They also explored resources on UniFrog, and were introduced to Wellington Connect Global (WellyConnect) our powerful careers and networking platform with over 6,500 members.
In the evenings, the Careers and Life Skills talks brought further depth to the week. Sourced by the Wellington Community Office, guest speakers from a wide range of industries shared their career journeys, offered practical advice, and reflected on how their fields are changing.
On Tuesday, we welcomed OW Martha Gray (O 13), VP of Renewals EMEA at DarkTrace, who spoke about the explosive growth of the cybersecurity industry, the threat highlighted by recent high-profile hacks and data breaches. She emphasised that success in this field doesn’t necessarily require a technical background, sharing her own path from Politics and International Relations. Martha also stressed the importance developing communication skills to sell and close in business, encouraged students to stay curious and informed through books and podcasts, and spoke about the value of stepping outside your comfort zone to learn new skills.
On Wednesday night, Simon Stewart, Wellington parent, investor, and entrepreneur, delivered a compelling session titled “What Investors Want: A Lesson in Pitching.” He shared powerful insights into what makes a pitch successful, reminding students that investors are looking for emotionally engaging ideas led by smart, determined individuals. Two brave students pitched their own ideas to Simon and their peers, receiving thoughtful feedback and a resounding round of applause for their courage and creativity.
“Simon Stewart’s talk on pitching was a real highlight for me during Life Beyond Wellington Week. Hearing from someone who works so closely with founders and being a founder himself gave a genuine insight into what makes a pitch stand out. He broke down how clarity, confidence, and storytelling matter just as much as the idea itself. What stood out most was how practical his advice was and it made me realise that a great pitch isn’t about sounding perfect, it’s about being memorable, authentic and clear on your purpose.” – Neal Khullar L6th Student
On Thursday night, we had the privilege of welcoming former Wellington parent Philip Sheppard, renowned composer, producer, and founder, who delivered an unforgettable talk on forging a career that’s uniquely your own. Philip took students on a whirlwind tour of his extraordinary journey, from composing for Star Wars to the surreal moment of hearing his daughter’s flute piece played by an astronaut in space. He shared his philosophy of building a career around a personal “bucket list”, a bold collection of dreams and ambitions, however improbable. Through creativity and determination, he’s turned those dreams into reality, offering a convincing reminder that imagination, when paired with action, can shape a life and career beyond expectations.
On Friday, Wellington parent Chris Withers, AI Transformation Leader at EY and guest lecturer at Oxford’s Saïd Business School capturing the audience by using AI-generated images of himself superimposed into scenes from his Oxford, Harvard, BT, and IBM, he introduced students to the world of professional services and how AI is already reshaping industries. He described future professionals as “conductors” of AI agents, illustrated by a live demo of an AI tool generating a website in real time in the background. The evening ended with a poignant question from a student about whether AI might lead to a “brain drain”, a risk Chris acknowledged, warning that skipping the process of deep thinking could hinder true understanding of concepts.
The week culminated in a dynamic Careers Speed Networking event, where over 200 students seized the opportunity to engage in, informal but insightful conversations with 35 parent and OW volunteers from a wide array of industries. From surgeons, entrepreneurs, and engineers to theatre directors, barristers, marketing executives, communications specialists, strategy managers, and investment professionals, the room was buzzing! These fast-paced exchanges gave students a chance to ask honest questions, hear real-world stories, and gain insider perspectives on career paths they may never have considered.
Caroline Monaghan, Head of the Life Beyond Wellington programme commented:
‘It is vital that we help to prepare our students not just for exams, but for life, and for a future that is quite uncertain. Each encounter they have with Life Beyond Wellington programme helps build their confidence in navigating that uncertainty..
We could not achieve this without the incredible support of our parent and Old Wellingtonian volunteers who generously gave their time during Life Beyond Wellington Week 2025. I would also like to thank our brilliant students for engaging so enthusiastically with the opportunities. We are deeply grateful to the entire Wellington Community for making this week such a success.”
It’s initiatives like this that contributed to Wellington being named ‘Best of the Best Senior School for Preparation for Life’ by The Week Independent Schools Guide. (Wellington College Named ‘Best of the Best Senior School’ for Preparation for Life! – Wellington College)
Joshua M Webber, Head of Careers
Caroline Monaghan, Head of Life Beyond Wellington
